US Defence Secretary Refuses to Rule Out Ground Troops in Iran as Fourth Soldier Dies
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the door open for American boots on the ground in Iran, while vowing to "finish" the ongoing war and warning that more US troops could die as fighting intensifies. His remarks came during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where he confirmed the death of a fourth American soldier following Iranian strikes on a base in Kuwait.
Hegseth's Stark Warning to Tehran
Speaking forcefully, Hegseth described Iran as constructing "powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions." He insisted that the United States "didn't start this war" but under President Donald Trump, it is committed to ending it. "We will finish this," he declared, adding a direct threat to Tehran: "If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation. And we will kill you."
Acknowledging the mounting human cost, Hegseth stated soberly, "War is hell, and it always will be." He emphasised that the objectives of the military operation are clear: to destroy Iranian offensive missiles, missile production capabilities, their navy, and other security infrastructure, ensuring they never obtain nuclear weapons.
Ground Troops Possibility and Iraq Comparisons
When questioned about the potential deployment of US ground forces in Iran, Hegseth refused to rule it out, though he rejected comparisons with the prolonged Iraq conflict. "No, but we're not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do," he responded when asked if US forces are currently inside Iran. He criticised the idea of disclosing military plans to adversaries, calling it "foolishness."
Drawing on his own experience in Iraq, Hegseth argued that Washington could achieve its objectives without a drawn-out occupation. "You don't have to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years. We've proven that you can achieve objectives that advance American interests without being foolish," he said. He maintained that the US would be bold and decisive, with months of planning, but would not telegraph its moves to the enemy.
No Clear Timetable for the Conflict
Hegseth declined to set a specific timeline for the war, noting that President Trump has "all the latitude in the world" to determine its duration, which could range from weeks to longer periods. "It could move up. It could move back," he said, emphasising that the mission is "very clear" and being executed deliberately by US commanders.
Joint Chiefs Chair General Dan Caine echoed this sentiment, warning that the campaign would not be swift. "This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives that Centcom and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work," he stated. Caine added that the US expects to take additional losses but will work to minimise them, describing the situation as "major combat operations."
Regime Change Not the Formal Objective
Despite the aggressive stance, Hegseth clarified that regime change in Iran is not the formal objective of the operation. Instead, he framed it as a "clear, devastating, decisive mission" focused on neutralising military threats. He concluded with a message of support to US forces, saying, "Know this above all, President Trump and I have your back always through fire, through criticism, through fake news, through everything we unleash you because you are the best, most powerful, most lethal fighting force the world has ever seen."
